Pumps



K. KUGLER May 27, 1958 PUMPS Filed Oct. 29, 1954 K. KUGLER May 27, 1958 PUMPS 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed OCb, 29, 1954 Inl/enor Kez' .Kaag/er Bg @445% PUMPS Keith Kugler, Culbertson, Nebr.

Application October 29, 1954, Serial No. 465,669

1 Claim. (Cl. 10S-23) This invention relates to the field-application of anhydrous ammonia as a fertilizer, and particularly the invention relates to a metering pump for accomplishing accurate and uniform distribution of such fertilizer.

Anhydrous ammonia is used quite extensively as a fertilizer for many farm crops, and this fertilizer is furnished to the farmer in liquid form so as to be under relatively high pressure in the supply tank of the fertilizing unit or implement that is drawn through the eld in the fertilizing operation. Such fertilizer is, of course, relatively expensive, and for this and other reasons, Vit is highly desirable that the fertilizer be applied at a uniform and accurately controlled rate which is usually computed and specified as a selected number of pounds or gallons per acre. By reason of the high pressure of the liquid ammonia, the accurate metering thereof by conventional equipment has been almost impossible of attaining, and it is accordingly the primary object of the present invention to afford a metering pump that may be utilized to attain a metered flow of the liquid fertilizer at any desired rate. More specically, it is an object of the present invention to afford a metering pump that is simple in structure and operation and which operates with the requisite accuracy of metering despite the high pressures that are involved in the liquid fertilizer that is being metered.

Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and claim and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings which, by Way of illustration, show a preferred embodiment of the present invention and the principle thereof and what I now consider to be the best mode in which I have contemplated applying that principle. Other embodiments of the invention embodying the same or equivalent principle may be used and structural changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention and the purview of the appended claim.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a top perspective view of a metering pump ernbodying the features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View taken longitudinally through the pump of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a left-hand end elevational view taken from the line 3 3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a right-hand elevational view taken substantially along the line 4--4 of Fig. 2.

For purposes of disclosure, the invention is herein illustrated as embodied in a metering pump that has a main frame 11 upon which a diaphragm pump structure 12 is mounted for operation by a main drive shaft 13 which may be driven in timed relation to the movement of a feru'lizing implement by connection with a ground wheel ofthe implement through a means including a sprocket 14. The diaphragm pump mechanism 12 is effective to feed liquid fertilizer from an inlet pipe 15 in metered quantities through an outlet housing 16, a discharge connection 17 and a heat exchanger 18 to a discharge connection or outlet 19, the liquid fertilizer be- United States Patent C) "ice 2,835,119 Patented May 27, 1958v ing reduced in its pressure as it leaves the diaphragm pump structure 12 and passing in its gaseous form through the heat exchanger 18 and the outlet 17 to the respective groundengaging elements of the implement, where the fertilizer in gaseous form is dischargedinto the ground a substantial distance beneath the stu'face of the ground.

The main frame 11 of the metering pump 10 is atforded by a pair of parallel side plates 11L and 11R that are spaced apart, and at their right-hand ends, as viewed in Fig. 2, are held in rigid spaced relation by cross bars 11B and 111B. Along their lower edges, the side plates 11L and 11R have outwardly extending mounting flanges 11F, While at the ends thereof that are remote from the bars 11B and 111B, the side plates have vertical outwardly extending ilanges 111:` which serve as part of the means for mounting the diaphragm pump structure 12 on the frame 11. The right end, Fig. 2, of the frame is closed in part by a thin cover plate 11P which for purposes of clarity has been omitted from Fig. 4.

Thus as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the diaphragm pump structure 12 comprises a pair of cup-shaped members 112 and 212 having angular llanges 112F and 212F at their open ends so that these two ilanges may be placed on opposite sides of a flexible diaphragm D to clamp this diaphragm within the diaphragm chamber that is afforded by the two housing sections. The housing section 112 is secured to each of the flanges 11F by means of a pair of cap screws 12C, thus to secure the frame 11 and the diaphragm pump housing securely together, and this also serves to hold the side plates 1.1L and 11R in the proper spaced relation at the end thereof adjacent the diaphragm pump housing. The ilanges 112F and 2125 are clamped together and against the bordering edge of the diaphragm D by means of a plurality of cap screws 212C.

The central portion of the diaphragm D is operatively connected to the end of a reciprocable piston rod 26 which extends slidably through the vertical wall of the housing section 112 and through a packing gland 21 which may be of any conventional kind. In the present instance, the packing of the gland 21 is compressed and held in position by a cap 21C and cap screws 21S. Within the pump housing, the end of the piston rod 2Q is reduced as at 26E, and a pair of plates 22 and 23 disposed on opposite sides of the central portion of the diaphragm D are positioned on the reduced portion ZtlR, and are held in position and clamped on the diaphragm by means of a cap screw 24 that extends axially into the piston rod 20.

rThe diaphragm pump is operated by reciprocation of the piston rod 20 as will be described, and in such reciprocation, the liquid fertilizer under pressure is admitted from the inlet pipe 15 through an inlet valve 25 into the pump chamber that is afforded between the wall of the casing 212 and the diaphragm D, this pump chamber being indicated generally by the reference character C in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The inlet valve 25 may be of any conventional construction, but as herein shown is afforded within a projecting sleeve 26 that is formed on the vertical wall of the housing section 212 and which is connected to the other end of the inlet pipe 15, as shown in 1Eig. 2. Within this sleeve 26, a guide sleeve 26S is supported by a plurality of webs 26W so as to receive and guide the sleeved stem 25S of the valve member 25 having a head 25H and a resilient surfacing 25R that engages the internal surface of the vertical Wall about the valve passage to close the inlet valve. The valve member is urged toward its closed position by means of an expansive coil spring surrounding the stern 25S and acting between the adjacent end of the sleeve 26S and a nut 125N on the valve stem, thus to urge the valve member to the left toward its closed position, as viewed in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

. .30S to close the valve. Y

Vheld in position by a capscrew'230. "At its other end, the

i chamber C in the intake stroke of the diaphragm is discharged from the pump chamber C through a discharge valvert-that is mounted within"theextendingsmounting sleeve 16 that s formedon thecasing section 212`parallel tothe sleeve26-and 4also parallel to the piston rod kAs shown in Fig. 2 of the-draivingsthe` sleeve! 16 is capped' or closed at its outer end -by 'a` screw plug32' and at its inner end has anoutlet port 30P`that is of a'smallerdiameter than the internal diameter ofthe sleeve 16 so @as to afford a shoulder `or* valve Vseat'lWS. `Within lthe sleeve, a solid cylindrical valve memher'j130 is slidablymounted and has a resilient disk 130i at its' right-hand end, as viewed in Fig. 2, for contact with the vshoulder or.V seat ThisV resilient member" 139D is valve body 130 has'a conventional cup leather 330 secured thereon by means including a washer- 430 and a fastening screwV 4368. To the left of the washer 430, an

` expansive coil kspring 536 acts between the plug 32 and the washer 430to urge the valve member 30 toward its right- Y hand or closed position'. Whenpressure is applied to the outlet valve 30 in the discharge `stroke of the diaphragm D,'the valve member 30 is moved to the left in au amount suicient to disclose a final outlet port 430P that opens laterally into the connecting passage 17, and upon completion ofthe discharge stroke and initiating of the withdrawing or intake stroke of the diaphragm, the outlet valve 30 is returned to its closed position by the spring 530.

As herein'before pointed out, the liquid fertilizer underlgoes lan expansion or pressure reduction'infthe course of the metering operation, lso that as this ymetered fertilizer moves 'into the heat exchanger 13, it is at 'a substantially reduced temperature so as to cause a heat transfer action which lowers the temperature of the incoming liquid fertilizer that is moving through the intake pipe 15,. In this respect, it will'benoted that the heat exchanger 18 as herein shown is afforded by a pipe ISP that surrounds the intake pipe 15 for a substantial distance land is closed at its ends, t-he passage 17 being connected tothe right-hand endV portion 'of the pipe 131), while the outlet 19 is connected to cthe other or left-hand end of the pipe 18P. TheV coolV gaseous fertilizerthus flows along the -intake pipe 15 so asY to absorb heatY from the incoming liquid refrigerant.

The main drive shaft 13 is rotatably mounted in a pair Y Ofbearings 113V that are extended outwardly from the respective side plates 111.5` and 11R, and in the space he tween the two side'plates, means are afforded' whereby the piston rod 20 may be actuated. 'Y Thus, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, an operating lever 40 has a notch 40N atits lower end that embraces cross pin`4tiP between Vthe `tworside pistonV rod 20 in a left-hand or pumping direction, Fig. 2,l

and controls the right-hand :or intake movement of the piston rod until the lever 40 engages the adjustable abutment afforded by the screw '50.

The operating shaft 13 is in most instances continuously operated during movement of the implement upon which the pump is mounted, and-means are therefore provided for disabling the operating means of the pump. In Ythe present instance, thisV is attained by moving `the lever 40 in a counter-clockwise:directionto a point where it is out of the path of t-he roller 413. This is `accomplished by means including a ycontrol lever 60 that is made up of two `bars 66B that are engaged in a face-to-face relation in their upper portion, and which are spread apart in their lower portion to afford ya'bifurcated lower end portion. The leverr60 is. pivoted, bya crosspin 61 that .extend'sthrough upwardly projecting ears 11E.,that.are formed on therespective'side plates liRgand llLtand it might-be pointed out that this pivot pin 61 constitutes one fastening element,

that. functions in holding'the bars 46 in'position. -Each bar 46 'also has a screw 63,.extended therethrough intothe adjacent ear 11E, thus to complete the rigid fasteningof the bars 46 on the framerelements. YAt its lower end, the lever 60 hasfa roller'ei rotatablyvmounterd betweenthe .Y

that is indicated diagrammatically inFigrl of the drawings, such cord or chain extending from therupper, end of the leverV 611 tothe operators'seat Von the implement or on the tractor'that Yis pulling such implement. Y Y Y In the use ofl a Yliquid fertilizer suchfas'anhydrous ammonia, the pressure of the liquid in the supplvta'nkand Y in the chamber C of the pump mav be anywherefrom `60 to 200 pounds per square inch,iand in order to eliminate the Vneed for excessively heavysprings in the vtalvres and intheV return actuation of the diaphragm, equalizing connectionsare afforded in the pump. d TIhus, 'an equalizing Ipipe'70 is ccnnected'to the intake pipe 15 andfto Vone armV v of a VT -iitting 71 that is connected tothe sleeve 21 to the plates 117L and 11R, and this lever 40 extends upwardly and between opposite'sides of a connecting block l1-'that is'ixed to the right-hand end of the pistonV rodV 20, as

Y shown in'Fig. 2. The lever 40 is pivoted tothe block' i1V by a cross pin 42 that extends through the lever and Y through the `opposite side members of the block 41. At

its upper end, the lever 40 has a,cross-bar 43 secured thereto by means including abolt 44.1 AtV its opposite ends, the cross'bar 43 has coil springs145 secured thereto and extended to the right in Fig. 2`ar1d connectedV tostationarv bracket arms 46 that are'viixed to the respective side plates. as will be described. v The sprinUsAS yield-v Y ingly urge the lever 40'in a clockwisedirection, as viewed in Fig. 2, so as to Vtend to move the diaphragm D through its return or intake'strok'e, the Vextent and limit of which lisdeterm'in'edpby abutment ofthe arm 49 with an adjust# ablerscrew Sil that extends through the crossbar 11B as Ishown Yin YFig.l2 ofthe drawings and has an operating head 50H pinned thereto. f Thepistonfrod 201s positively Vmoved in alet-hand-Or pumping direction, Fig. 2,Y by

means mounted upon the driveshaft 13, `and in the pres- Y 'ent form such means are afforded by an arm 213 pinnedA as at Y`313 onfthe shaft 13 between the' side plates of `the frame, and having a freely rotatable'roller-413 mountediV Vleft ofthe outlet valve member. 30.` A connection-72is extended vfrom the other arm of the Ti`1tting 71 .to the. rearV chamber RC of the pump housing, thus to yapplvthe intake pressure ofthe fertilizer back of the Vdiaphragm D and back of the outlet valve 30.

In handling liquid fertilizer of the aforesaid character,

it is desirable to vent the pump chamber C when the pump n is not in use, and in the present instance thisV is. accomplished by operation ofthe control lever 60.V Y"Ihus- `the valve member 39 has an adjustable screw vttlextending 'therefromV and into the chamber 30C. f `Thelength of Vthe Vabutment screw 630 is such that normal actuation Vofthe Ypistonrod V20 will not cause the Aplate 22'to engagethe abutment screw 630. YIIo`wever,when `the controlllever V is moved to its eifective position, the roller. 65 .may

be moved upwardly along vthe camsurface 144C. to .an1

' amount suicientto engage the plate 22/.withgthefabutment screw V636 andgmove the valvememberr30to$the left, Fig. 2, in an amount sufficientY to disengagethe valve member 30 from its seat 30S;- When. this. is done; any gaseous fertilizer Vwithin the pump therefrom. Y

From the: YforegoingV description, itwill beifrapparent that the present-*invention affords a metering pump. that Y issimple` in character andeifectivejin operation,-and

that byrthvewusefof the present metering pump-,the applir-Y Y Y chamber-'Qmay escape l i 'Y cation of liquid fertilizer to a eld may be accurately and adjustably controlled.

Thus while I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that this is capable of variation and modification, and I therefore do not Wish to be limited to the precise details set forth, but desire to avail myself of such changes and alterations as fall Within the purview of the following claim.

I claim:

In a metering pump for use in applying liqueiied gaseous fertilizer, a frame, a housing mounted on said frame and having reciprocable means mounted therein to provide a pump, an operating rod slidably extended into said housing and connected to said reciprocable means, a pivotal operating lever operatively connected to said rod for moving said reciprocable means through suction and discharge stroke, spring means acting on said lever for moving the reciprocable means through its suction stroke, an adjustable abutment in the path of said lever for limiting and varying said suction; stroke, a drive shaft having eccentric means thereon engageable with said operating lever for actuating the reciprocable means through its discharge stroke, inlet and outlet check valves, means engageable by said reciprocable means when mov-ed beyond the end of its discharge stroke for opening said outlet check Valve, and a control lever normally disposed in an ineffective position and pivotable to an effective position wherein it engages said actuating lever to hold said actuating lever out of the range of said eccentric means, and said control lever being movable beyond said effective position to move said reciprocable means beyond the end of its discharge stroke.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,367,545 Udale Ian. 16, 1945 2,696,785 Blue Dec. 14, 1954 2,761,391 Johnston Sept. 4, 1956 

